1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system and a printing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a known image forming system that includes a raster image processor (RIP) and a printing device (image forming device). The RIP receives print data from a host computer and converts the print data into bitmap data. The printing device receives, from the RIP, print commands and bitmap data and then prints the data. There is a demand for a higher-speed and higher-performance image forming device. There is a known technology in which, when bitmap data is transmitted from the RIP to the image forming device, the bitmap data is subjected to a compression process and then the compressed data is transmitted, whereby the data can be transmitted while the performance of the image forming device is fully utilized.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-287519 discloses an image forming system that includes a front-end, a back-end, and an engine. In this system, in order to enable data transfer while the engine performance is fully utilized, a compression rate is controlled and compressed data is transmitted to a back-end processor (print control device) that is included in the image forming device.
Furthermore, there is a known technology in which a data line for transmitting image data is separated from a control line for transmitting and receiving control commands (control information). An interface that allows high-speed data transfer is used for the data line for transmitting image data so that the print speed of the overall image forming device is increased.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-254763 discloses a printing device in which a data line for transmitting image data is separated from a control line for transmitting and receiving control signals and an interface that allows high-speed data transfer is used for the data line for transmitting image data, whereby the print speed of the overall printing device is increased.
In a conventional image forming system that compresses data for transmission, even if the speed and performance of an image forming device are further improved, data cannot be compressed to such a degree that the performance of an engine is fully utilized, which results in a decrease in the performance of the engine.
Furthermore, in a conventional technology where a high-speed data line is separated from a control line, if an image forming device achieves a higher speed and higher performance, an interface used as a control line for transmitting and receiving control information causes a decrease in the performance of the engine because of the generation of control information, for which the processing speed is inadequate.